Community Service

Guidelines for Service to the Community

1. We understand service to be work that a person does on behalf of another person(s) who is (are) in need through a non-profit organization. We do not understand service to mean donations of food or money. We do not understand service to mean work for which a student is remunerated. We do not understand service to mean preparation for service.
2. Service Requirement
   • High School students are required to do a minimum of 25 hours of service per academic year. Middle School students are required to do a minimum of 15 hours of service per academic year. This means that the totality of the service responsibilities must be completed and recorded by the last day of the student’s final exams.
   • Additional hours may be credited in order to apply for scholarships and/or college.
   • Students who are unable to finish their required service during the school year, may do so the following summer. Summer make up hours are two hours per unfinished hour and are to be recorded in the Campus Ministry Office during the first week of the following academic year. Any and all service done during the summer will be credited to the preceding academic year.
   • Fulfillment of community service according to school regulations is a requirement from graduation. Any student who has not completed his Community Service obligation by the end of his senior year (the last day of final exams) will not receive the Belen diploma.
   High School Students
   • By “direct service” we mean service which places the student in direct contact with the person/s in need. For example: nursing homes, day care facilities for disabled children, “soup kitchens”, teaching CCD at his parish, etc.
   • By “indirect service” we mean service that the student does THROUGH an organization that serves the people in need. Examples are: fundraising through a non-profit organization; doing ministry at his parish (reading at Mass or altar serving); helping at the carnival of his parish; working at Belen through Key Club on days where there are activities (Parent-Teacher Conferences, Father and Son Day, etc.)
   • At least 15 hours are to be in direct service to others in need, through a non-profit organization (see approved organizations on our website).
   • At most, 10 hours of indirect service may be performed in the following:
               i. Belen Jesuit Prep School             ii. Participating in fundraising for a non-profit organization.             iii. Altar serving at a parish             
   • Senior Privilege: If you finished your service requirement for the junior year you may use the summer of your junior year to do service towards your senior year.
   Middle School Students
   • Middle School students are to complete at least 15 hours of direct or indirect service to those in need. (See above for definition of “direct” and “indirect.”)
3. Places
   • There is a list of pre-approved organizations on our web page. If a student wishes to serve through an organization that is not listed, he must have it approved prior to working.
4. Reporting Service
   • Students must print out and fill out the service report form that appears on our web page and turn it in to the Campus Ministry Office. It should be stapled to a letter from the organization where he did the work, on their official stationery, with the original signature of the adult who supervised him Copies will not be accepted
   • Students must turn in their service documentation in the Campus Ministry Office within a month of the day(s) they did it. Failure to meet this deadline may result in nullification of the service in question.
5. Service outside Miami Any student who does his service outside the Miami-Dade County geographical area must substantiate it with a portfolio that includes:
   • the required letter from the non-profit organization where he served (with the necessary dates, and official letterhead, original signature, etc.)
   • a three page report written by the student (typed, double-spaced) where he:
               a. describes the type of work he did             b. the amount of time he worked at it             c. reflects on the experience
   • photographs of him doing this work, with pertinent descriptions
   • The boarding pass / seat assignment or other proof of travel if the service is performed overseas.
   • This does NOT apply if the student in doing overseas work through Belen Youth Missions, LIFO or Amor en Accion.
6. Walks In order to receive credit for service done for a “Walk” on behalf of organizations which are raising funds, Belen students may work in the set up and removal of the booths prepared for such Walk. They must sign up at the Belen booth, with the Belen faculty member or counselor who is sponsoring the Walk at our school. If there is no such sponsorship on the part of the school, students will not receive service credit. They will not receive credit for money raised or hours walked.

Students may access their service record by clicking here